Brassiere



Jan. 27, 1970- c; G. SIMONSEN 3,491,762

BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 22. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CARL G. SIMONSEN ATTORNEY Jan. 2 7, 1970 I c. G. SIMONSEN 3,491,762

BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 22. 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CARL G. SIMONSEN //h4. MM

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,491,762 BRASSIERE Carl G. Simonsen, 2204 The Alameda, San Jose, Calif. 95126 Filed Sept. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 669,822 Int. Cl. A41c 3/00 US. Cl. 128-484 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A brassiere having a bust supporting band positioned below the breasts for providing a hammock support, and a pair of straps extending from the shoulder straps to the hammock support, thereby forming a supporting triangle in which each breast is centered. The top of the bust cups are detachably supported to a hooked member on the adjustment buckle of the shoulder straps, so that the wearer may detach the cups and manipulate the breasts and surrounding flesh into a desired position within the supporting triangle. The hammock-support band has a free upper edge and dependent side panels with free outer edges, whereby said free edges may be folded back to aid in filling up the bust cups.

The present invention relates in general to womens undergarments, and more particularly to a brassiere.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved brassiere.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brassiere which supports and positions the figure of the wearer in a pleasing manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brassiere which may be adapted for use with the individual figure characteristics of each wearer.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a brassiere of the foregoing characteristics which is unusually comfortable to wear.

One feature of the present invention is the provision of a brassiere construction in which the bust cups are detachably secured in front of a bust-encircling support, whereby the wearer may detach said cups and manipulate the breasts and surrounding flesh into a desired position within said bust-encircling support.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a bust supporting band structure positioned below the breasts of the wearer, said structure having one or more free edges which may be folded back to aid in filling up the bust cups.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompaying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the present invention, and being shown as suspended on a wearer in a position of use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the brassiere of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, and illustrating the construction of the brassiere in the region of the bust cups;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front perspective view of the brassiere of FIGURE 1 with the bust cups removed in order to more clearly show the construction of the inner bust supporting members;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a portion 55 in FIGURE 1 which illustrates the manner in which the bust cups are detachably secured to the shoulder strap buckles; and

FIGURE 6 is a front perspective view of the brassiere of FIGURE 1, shown with the breast cups detached from 3,491,762 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 the shoulder strap buckles so as to permit manipulation of the wearers breasts into a desired supporting position in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, a brassiere 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a pair of outer bust cups 11 and 12 stitched at the bottom thereof to the top edge of a bottom strip panel 13. The bottom strip panel 13 is backed by an elastic band 14 along the lower edge thereof so that the elastic band 14 engages the Wearers body below the breasts. The outer edges of the bust cups 11 and 12 and the bottom strip panel 14 are stitched to back bands 15 and 16 which are of conventional design and include elastic pieces 17 and 18 which are detachably and adjustably joined by a hook and eye fastener 19. The outer bust cups 11 and 12 are constructed from a total of four panels joined in quadrature relationship along a horizontal seam 21 and a vertical seam 22.

Spaced from the bottom elastic band 14, and disposed in generally parallel relationship therewith, are a pair of relatively wide bust-supporting bands 25 and 26 which are joined together at the confronting contiguous side edges thereof along a seam 27. The panels for the bands 25 and 26 are preferably shaped so that, prior to stitching, these confronting edges have a bowed or confronting configuration defining a convex-space therebetween. This arrangement has been disclosed and claimed inmy copending US. Patent application Ser. No. 543,401, filed Apr. 18, 1966, wherein the seam 27 has a generally arcuate, inwardly-bowed, configuration so asto reduce the bunching or gathering of the bands 25 and 26 along the seam 27 and to form the bands 25 and 26 into a configuration that follows the contour of the wearers breasts. The bottom edges of the bands 25 and 26 are stitched to the upper edge of the bottom panel 13 along seams 28 and 29, respectively; and the outer side edges of the bands 25 and 26 are stitched to the back bands 15 and 16 along seams 31 and 32, respectively. The upper edges 33 and 34 of the bands 25 and 26, respectively, are both free (detached from the bust cups 11 and 12) and longer than the opposite bottom edges along seams 28 and 29. As a result of this construction, the upper edges 33 and 34 of the bands 25 and 26 form a hammock support for the breasts, and further may be folded back, all as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

A pair of generally trapezoidal panels 35 and 36 are attached one at the outer edge of each of the bust-sup porting bands 25 and 26. The bottom edges of the panels 35 and 36 are stitched to the top edge of the bottom band 14; the inner side edges of the panels 35 and 36 are attached to the back bands 15 and 16 along the seams 31 and 32, respectively; and the top edges of the panels 35 and 36 are attached to the back bands 15 and 16 along seams 37 and 38, respectively. The outer side edges 39 and 40 of the panels 35 and 36 are free (detached from i the back bands 15 and 16) and are cut so as to slant downwardly and outwardly. As a result of this construction, the outer edges 39 and 40 of the panels 35 and 36 may be folded back as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Shoulder straps 41 and 42 are attached to the top edge of the back bands 15 and 16, respectively, and extend over the shoulder of the wearer to attachment, respectively, at the intersection of the top edges of a pair of bustencircling straps 43 and 44 disposed inside of the bust cup 11 and the intersection of the top edges of a pair of bustencircling straps 45 and 46 disposed inside of the bust cup 12. The bottom edge of the strap 43 is stitched to the inner edge of the back band 15 along the seam 31; the bottom edge of the strap 44 is stitched to the bust-supporting band 25 along the seam 27; the bottom edge of the strap 45 is stitched to the bust-supporting band 26 along the seam 27 and the bottom edge of the strap 46 is stitched As is best seen in FIGURE 5, the shoulder strap 41 has an adjustment buckle 51 with a hook 52 appended to the bottom thereof. The bust cup 11 has a stiff ribbon loop 53 sewn to the center of the top edge thereof. This loop is dimensioned to slip over the hook 52 and be seated in a notch 54 formed by the inner edge of the hook 52. With the loop 53 so seated, the bust cup is maintained in wearing position by the hook S2. The bust cup 11 may then be detached from the buckle 51 by lifting the loop 53 out of the notch 54 and slipping in back over the; hook 52. An identical construction is provided for detachably connecting the bust cup 12 via a loop 55 to an adjustable buckle 56 on the shoulder strap 42.

To put on the brassiere 10, the bust cups 11 and 12 are first attached to the buckles 51 and 56, respectively, and the busts are dropped into these cups by the wearer leaning forward. Next the bands and 26 are smoothed down so that the bottoms thereof lie fiat against the rib cage under the bust and the upper portions thereof encircle the bust and form a hammock support therefor. For smaller busts, the bust cups can be filled by folding back the upper edges 33 and 34 of the bands 25 and 26, respectively, and by folding back the outer edges 39 and 40 of the panels and 36, respectively, all as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. For larger busts, the bust may be positioned back on the bands 25 and 26 to create a more youthful appearance. The shoulder straps 41 and 42 are adjusted, via the buckles 51 and 56, so that the back bands 15 and 16 are comfortably located belc-w the shoulder blades and the breasts are at a comfortable height. Each breast is now centered in a supporting triangle consisting of the band 25 and the bust-encircling straps 43 and 44 on the left side and consisting of the band 26 and the bust= encircling straps 45 and 46 on the right side. At this point, the bust cups 11 and 12 are unhooked from the buckles 51 and 56, in the manner previously described, and folded down into the position shown in FIGURE 6 so that the breasts are exposed. The wearer then leans forward and gently brings the flesh forward from underarm to within the above-described breast supporting triangles in order to get maximum enlargement from underarm flesh. Next, one hand is cupped under the breast with the other hand holding the bottom of the respective band 25 or 26 in place, and the flesh is brought up from the midriff into the perspective band to increase the bust fullness. Finally, the bust cups are raised up into the wearing position and reinserted into the buckles 51 and 56.

It has been found that if the brassiere 10 is now held at the top center and shaken from side to side, quickly and firmly, with the wearer leaning forward, it. will help train the tissue forward into the breast cups.

It will be noted that the brassiere 10 supports and lifts each breast upward and inward towards the opposite shoulder in a natural, pleasing, and extremely comfortable manner.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A brassiere comprising:

bust supporting means adapted to encircle the breast of the wearer;

a bust supporting band adapted to be positioned below the breasts of the wearer and attached to said bust supporting means, the bust supporting band having a free upper edge and a lower edge, said free upper edge being of greater dimension than said lower edge, whereby the free upper edge is foldable in a direction away from the wearer;

and a pair of bust cups detachably secured in the vicinity of an upper edge thereof to said bust supporting means, the bust cups being detachable to allow the weare to manipulate the breasts and surrounding flesh into a desired position with said bust supporting means.

2. A brassiere as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pair of bust cups are secured to said bust supporting band along a lower edge thereof.

3. A brassiere as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a pair of panels positioned at the outer ends of said breast supporting band, each of said panels having a free outer edge which may be folded back to aid in filling out said bust cups.

4. A brassiere as claimed in claim 2 wherein said bust supporting band is secured to said bust supporting means along the lower edge thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,033,256 5/1962 Ramsell 128-484 3,164,154 1/1965 Simonsen 128-486 3,213,462 10/1965 Ramsell 128-486 3,409,017 11/1968 Ramsell 128-486 ADELE M. EA-GER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

